Brunson, Pegasus and the Hall of Fame

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 by Nadia

A lot has been happening in the poker world recently – Doyle Brunson played in his first EPT in London; Mark ‘Pegasus’ Smith is racing to the head of the competition and the nominees for the Poker Hall of Fame (WSOP 2011) were announced, along with the much anticipated date for Veldhuis and Grospellier’s kick-boxing match.

Brunson Goes to London

To many, Doyle Brunson is a legend – one of the most important faces of poker. Nicknamed ‘Texas Dolly’, Nevada born Brunson has been slowly cutting down on his traveling, as, at 78 years he finds it too tiring to go to such events. Brunson surprised and delighted poker fans by making an appearance in the London leg of the European Poker Tour. He won some cash at the tables, placing 77th at the main event in London. The amount won was $14,067. Additionally, he thrilled fans by announcing his intentions of participating in the WSOP Europe tournament in Cannes, France.

Smith Soars above the Competition

Mark Smith, Kentucky born and bred, is affectionately referred to as ‘Pegasus’ in the poker circuit. Smith has 25 cashes from WSOPs under his belt, making him the proud recipient of over $485,000. The 59 year old player won his fifth ring at an NLHE event, with a $345 buy-in. This was at the World Series of Poker tour in Indiana.

Previously, Smith was neck to neck with Men Nguyen, also known as ‘The Master’, as both had four rings. He managed to set himself in a higher position with his fifth win. Pegasus almost managed to win his sixth ring at another NLHE Event but ended up finishing at 3rd place.

Poker Hall of Fame

The candidates for the Poker Hall of Fame from the WSOP 2011 have been revealed. They include Barry Greenstein, Linda Johnson, Marcel Luske, Tom Mc Evoy, Huckleberry Seed, Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, John Juanda, Jack McClelland and Scotty Nguyen.

The candidates will be discussed by a media panel consisting of 17 people. Also taking part in the discussion are the members of the Hall of Fame who are still alive – there are 18 of them. Though all the nominations are well-deserved, a few candidates stand out from the crowd. Some of them are:

• Barry Greenstein, one of the players in the lead, he has had 20 years of experience in the game. He has won three prestigious bracelets at the WSOP along with more than $7.5 million.

• Already a part of the Women’s Hall of Fame, Linda Johnson is a byword in poker. Marcel Luske was the voice for poker in Europe for many years. McClelland was the epitome of a director of tournaments and Tom McEvoy has been nominated several times before, but has just missed being inducted. Huckleberry Seed is a WSOP champion who has played consistently well for years. All of these players are worthy inclusions in the nominations for the Hall of Fame.

Veldhuis vs. Grospellier

It was recently announced that Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier and Lex Veldhuis, both Team PokerStars Players, would finally duke it out. Both players will be forgoing any protective garments and gear. The kick-boxing match will have three rounds with judges calling the decisions. The match will be televised for the fans that have been waiting in anticipation for the match.